Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugano and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,345 in Lugano, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Lugano
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Lugano Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Lugano

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,345

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lugano and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lugano and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,345 per month in Lugano vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Lugano $3,345
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $5,484 per month in Lugano vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Lugano $5,484
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $7,624 per month in Lugano vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Lugano $7,624
Tbilisi $2,763

Lugano costs about 163% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lugano sits 146% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.07 CHF 28.93

$11.63 ₾30.07

201.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$179 CHF 148

$37.83 ₾97.8

374.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.20 CHF 15.84

$9.66 ₾24.98

98.76%

Cappuccino

$4.74 CHF 3.91

$3.57 ₾9.24

32.77%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 CHF 4.37

$1.08 ₾2.78

390.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 CHF 3.52

$0.56 ₾1.45

660.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.96

$2.62 ₾6.78

268.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 CHF 6.05

$3.04 ₾7.85

141.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.17 ₾5.60

4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 CHF 3.10

$0.80 ₾2.06

370.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 CHF 3.43

$1.74 ₾4.51

139.08%

Eggs

$7.31 CHF 6.03

$2.83 ₾7.31

158.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.97 CHF 21.42

$9.31 ₾24.07

178.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.73 CHF 23.70

$6.52 ₾16.85

340.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.41 CHF 33.33

$12.95 ₾33.50

212.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 CHF 2.77

$1.68 ₾4.33

99.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.41

$1.85 ₾4.79

-8.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.06

$1.97 ₾5.10

26.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 CHF 5.38

$2.42 ₾6.25

169.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.53

$0.82 ₾2.11

126.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$0.74 ₾1.91

186.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.34 ₾3.47

85.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$0.77 ₾2.00

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 9.08

$3.57 ₾9.24

208.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.54 CHF 11.99

$7.67 ₾19.83

89.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$1.70 ₾4.39

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 CHF 3.42

$2.40 ₾6.21

72.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 CHF 2.52

$0.40 ₾1.05

662.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 CHF 51.8

$15.23 ₾39.38

312.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 CHF 6.11

$1.14 ₾2.95

550.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.40 CHF 4.46

$0.78 ₾2.02

592.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.5 CHF 63.9

$11.83 ₾30.58

554.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$1.45 ₾3.75

55.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.3K CHF 32.5K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

60.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.1K CHF 32.3K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

75.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$303 CHF 250

$88.8 ₾230

240.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.90 CHF 20.54

$13.12 ₾33.93

89.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CHF 40.42

$19.67 ₾50.9

149.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 CHF 60.8

$64.1 ₾166

15.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 CHF 29.75

$19.04 ₾49.24

89.44%

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 CHF 17.02

$7.12 ₾18.42

189.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,192 CHF 2,633

$375 ₾971

750.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

261.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 90.3

$104 ₾268

5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.85 CHF 40.30

$39.26 ₾102

24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 135

$117 ₾303

39.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 CHF 141

$122 ₾315

40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 CHF 1,566

$695 ₾1,798

172.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 CHF 1,171

$451 ₾1,167

214.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,851 CHF 3,177

$1,355 ₾3,504

184.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,397

$906 ₾2,343

220.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.2K CHF 12.5K

$2,295 ₾5,934

561.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,375 CHF 7,733

$1,345 ₾3,478

597.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,543 CHF 5,397

$664 ₾1,718

885.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.37

12.62

-81.22%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lugano: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lugano

$1.4K 42.4%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 68.2% $969

Groceries & Markets

Lugano

$606 18.1%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 61.4% $372

Eating Out

Lugano

$496 14.8%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 61.6% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lugano

$377 11.3%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 67.7% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Lugano

$222 6.6%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 22.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Lugano

$115 3.4%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 31.9% $37

Getting Around

Lugano

$109 3.3%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 80% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,898 in Lugano versus $695 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lugano are about 9.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $179 in Lugano versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $606 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lugano

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

13:26 1:26 PM

3 h ahead of Lugano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,583

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lugano Tbilisi 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lugano
Tbilisi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lugano vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugano costs about 163% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,017 per month in Lugano and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $1,898 in Lugano.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,345 in Lugano and $1,269 in Tbilisi. That makes Tbilisi about 62% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Lugano at $3,345. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lugano it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,269 versus $3,345 in Lugano. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lugano makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.